Controversial red card hits young Rocks' hopes of beating Sutton United

A controversial red card for Flynn Bennett hindered Rocks U19 as they slumped to a 5-2 defeat to Sutton United at Nyewood Lane in the Alliance League this afternoon.
The young Rocks take on SuttonThe young Rocks take on Sutton
The young Rocks take on Sutton

The full-back got his marching orders just before the interval for a determined tackle that looked likely only to receive a yellow card. But young referee Taz Alli -- a previous winner of the Sussex County FA's grassroots match official of the year award -- interpreted the challenge as one worthy of a dismissal and reduced the home side to 10 men.

It gave the Rocks, a side from Chichester College but playing under the Bognor Regis Town umbrella and bossed by former Bognor coach Darin Killpartrick and David Daniel, a mountain to climb against a strong Sutton side after going in at the break at 1-1. The Gander Green Lane outfit had taken the lead early on in the encounter but Jake Clark levelled the scores up soon after and the remainder of the half proved to be a contest of equal measure.

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But it didn't take the visitors long to cash in on their numerical superiority in the second half and they added three more goals to make it 4-1, this despite some free-flowing football from Bognor that didn't earn the deserved dividend.

Sutton made it 5-1 as the game edged to its conclusion but Mike Baker, a striker with first team experience, managed to grab a late consolation goal in the nine minutes of injury time.

Bognor: Ethan Gallea, EnriqueAndre-Paris, Flynn Bennett, Morgan Mockford-Allott, Oliver Clarke, Harrison Bullen, Matt Storm, Barnaby Griffiths, Mike Baker, Jake Clark, Lukas Micevicus. Subs: Ben Sparrow, Josh Parkinson, Josh Taylor.